It is said that the best laid plans of mice often go awry, but when an act holds as much conviction in their ideals like those of hardcore mainstays ANTAGONIST A.D., not even the rapture could stop them from achieving their goals. “When we put the concept together of the three part EP back at the start of 2019, we were really excited to build a story that grew deeper and strengthened the ethos of ANTAGONIST A.D. with each release.” Explains vocalist Sam Crocker. “Simply put we wanted to immerse our fans in a deeper world that was unequivocally us. I think we managed to nail that with these releases as it’s the best representation of us we have ever produced. Lyrically and musically we are the same refined version from when we started and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
Today the five piece announce the second part of this series, titled ‘All Things’ following on from their triumphant return EP ‘Through Fire’.
“The second EP highlights mental health issues as well as political issues that have come to the forefront of the media throughout 2020. Nothing makes the highs of true joy and happiness feel sweeter and more incredible than experiencing how low true pain and sorrow can take you. Artistically ALL THINGS represents a great flood coming to wash away the survivors of a burnt world. (through fire the first EP). There are women and children drowning and the upper echelon is praying rather than saving them. ”
Antagonist A.D.’s ‘All Things‘, recorded by Kurt Ballou at GodCity in Salem MA will be released Friday March 26th 2021.
Through fire all things are renewed…
Along with the announcement comes the lead single ‘Through Fire’ which encompasses the whole idea of the EP series. “This lead single from our second EP All Things subtly reveals the entire name of the EP series. Musically a step to the side from our usual sound I can sincerely say it’s one of the best songs we have ever written and it fits in perfectly with our other songs.”
As with a lot of creative endeavours, between the time these songs were recorded and the time they have been released, the message has continued to evolve and remain, if not become even more so, relevant to Crocker’s life and experiences. “Lyrically I had no idea how much these lyrics would continue to resonate with me. This song is about hardship. It’s about making mistakes and although you need to learn and grow from them – once you walk through the fire and emerge on the other side you are not unscathed; the memory remains. You just decide on how you choose to deal with that. Are you going to own and learn from your mistakes, progress with lessons learned or are you going to continually loop through the flames and suffer/stumble forever?”
As for the future, even in these uncertain times, the band as a whole is staying optimistic. “The possibility of playing shows again is extremely exciting. Even being able to finally release this second installment is something we are very positive about. We are motivated and excited for all that’s to come, we are enjoying the ride.”
